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It's called dissent. When politicians do something wrong or stupid, their mistakes should be highlighted because it is we that pay for the mistakes, not the politicians. When politicians do something self-serving designed only to insure their own re-election and that something is extremely detrimental to the American people, then those politicians should be not rewarded with votes. Rewarding bad behavior simply encourages more bad behavior. It is what got us into this mess and certianly will not be what gets us out.

How do conservatives gain by electing Republicans who have been more successful at advancing Democratic issues than Democrats were? Is your goal to elect Republicans or to restore conservative values?

Have you looked at electoral data from the US? Most elections are close and fairly evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. And the trend over the last dozen or so elections as been toward even closer elections. America is polarized, not united. There are two camps with almost completely divergent world views. So far this "war" between these rather equally balanced camps has been mostly peaceful. Apart from the exceptions of lunatic environmental groups on the left and few killings related to abortion clinics, this war has been fought with ballots instead of bombs and bullets. I will submit that it has been mostly peaceful, because the right has been gaining power at the expense of the left, but not so much power that the left thinks the direction of change is cast in stone or that the changes that have occured are permanent. If the trend to the right accelerates or even relentless continues farther right, I suspect you will see the hostility level on the left increase. By the same token, if the trend were to reverse, even a little, you would see dramatically rising hostility levels from the right.

Since the United States is dead on course for hyperinflation or debt default before 2016, the states are unlikely to united much longer. I would not be surprised to see the first secession shortly before or after the 2008 election. We could easily see several secessions by 2012. And with no change in the political or economic trends that are already in place, there won't be a Presidential election in 2016 in the US as we know it.

If Republicans could find another Ronald Reagan and elect him before 2012, the outcome could be very different. The renaissance that could and that probably would follow might be the most productive period of peace and prosperity in the history of man. The reason you correctly recognize Reagan as the greatest President in modern times is because Reagan was enough of a leader to take the course that he believed to be right regardless of the potential political consequences and then proved his leadership capabilities by persuading enough Americans to his position to over power his political opponents. Reagan fought rather than switch, and he won. The Bushes have switched without a fight. "Read my Lips" and campaign finance reform is unconstitutional. For the record, Social Security and Medicare are unconstitutional. The same Republicans that fought Hilliary Care now can't wait to pass Bush Cares. I never thought I would see the day in my lifetime when I would thank God for the opposition of Democrats and be praying that the Senate Democrats block one more Bush prescription.

There is an old saying that the majority is almost always wrong and on the rare occassions when the majority happens to be right, it will be for the wrong reasons. The Senate Democrats aren't the majority at the moment, but this is the first time in my sixty years that the Democrats want to vote correctly, but they have fulfilled the other part of the canard; they are doing it for the wrong reasons.

GO DASCHLE! HOLD THAT LINE!

It's called dissent. When politicians do something wrong or stupid, their mistakes should be highlighted because it is we that pay for the mistakes, not the politicians. When politicians do something self-serving designed only to insure their own re-election and that something is extremely detrimental to the American people, then those politicians should be not rewarded with votes. Rewarding bad behavior simply encourages more bad behavior. It is what got us into this mess and certianly will not be what gets us out.

How do conservatives gain by electing Republicans who have been more successful at advancing Democratic issues than Democrats were? Is your goal to elect Republicans or to restore conservative values?

Wonderfully stated. I thought these two paragraphs bear repeating.

Have you looked at electoral data from the US? Most elections are close and fairly evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. And the trend over the last dozen or so elections as been toward even closer elections.

I'm not sure you understand what you just said. With elections that close, tell me how a POTUS can take all hardline conservative positions and get elected or re-elected. HE CAN NOT! Only certain delusional people think otherwise.